Steady-brace for trolley-lines.



G. A. MEAD & w. H. KEMPTON.

STEADY BRACE FOR TROLLEY LINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1910.

Patented May 11, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTD-LITHO WASHINGTON. D. C.

GEORGE A. MEAD AND WILLARD H. KEMPTON, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, 01? MANSFIELD, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEADY-BB-AGE FOR TR-OLLEY-LINES.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed July 13, 1910. Serial No. 571,777.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE A. MEAD and W'ILLARD H. Knirr'ron, both citizens of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steadying-Braces for Trolley- Lines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steadying devices for conductor wires and has for its primary object to provide an improved combination and arrangement of parts in a de vice of this nature.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved means for limiting the lateral swinging movement of suspended electric conductors or trolley wires while permitting said wires to rise and fall.

Another object is to provide improved means whereby the lateral movement of the wires will be resiliently resisted.

A further object is to avoid so-called hard spots in a trolley wire due to the wire being too rigidly supported from above.

Anotherobject is to provide an improved steadying device which will be flexible but at the same time adapted to support instead of bearing upon the trolley wire;

Other and further objectswill appear in the specification and be more specifically pointed out in the claims appended hereto, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the same, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steadying device constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of another modification. F ig. 4 is a detail view from the left of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a stationary support is provided in the form of a T-bracket 1, which may be supported in any usual manner, not shown in the drawings. Mounted above the T- bracket 1 by means of insulating pedestals 2 and 3, which are rigidly connected together, is a messenger wire 41, said messenger wire being for the purpose of supporting a trolley wire 5 some distance therebelow. In electric railway systems over which the cars are operated at high speeds, it is customary to support the trolley wire 5 at intervals by means of connections depending from the messenger wire 4, said suspension usually being a catenary susplension. In order to provide means for preventing an undesirable lateral vibration or swing of the trolley wires due to wind or other forces, it is usual to provide steadying devices at intervals which while preventing bar 9, this being effected in the present instance by means of a short metal plate 10 to which the arm 9 is riveted at 11. The upper end 12 of the arm 9 is deflected horizontally over the trolley wire 5 and provided with a perforation through which slides a rigid support or bar 13 connected below to the trolley wire clamp 14. In order to limit the downward movement of the bar 13 so as to support the wire 5 at a suitable height, said bar 13 is provided above the upper end of the arm 9 with a nut 15. Secured to the arm 9 adjacent the end 12 thereof is a clip or other suitable fastening device 16, which engages the messenger wire 4 and supports the several members connected thereto. It will thus be seen that the trolley wire 5 is susceptible of being moved vertically. In order, however, to limit the lateral swaying movement without unduly interfering with the vertical movement of said wire, a resilient connection is provided between the lower end of the-bar 13 and the outer end 8 of the arm 7, said connection preferably consisting of a spiral or helical spring 17.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, a bracket or casting 18 is suitably secured to the horizontal arm 1, above which is supported a messenger wire 20. In this figure of the drawing, the means for supporting the trolley wire 21 from the messenger wire 20 is shown at 30,31, 32, but said trolley wire may be suspended directly from the messenger 20 in any well known manner. The arm 22 is flexibly mounted upon the bracket 18 by means of a resilient memher or spring 23.

In both of the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arms 7 and 22 respectively may be disposed at such angle as will effect a lifting effect upon the trolley wires 5 and 21 respectively, the weight of the steadying devices being therefore taken from the trolley wires. Should it be desired to make the arms adjustable to vary the lifting effect on the trolley wire, a device such as is illus trated in Figs. 3 and at may be employed consisting of a casting 2i slidably mounted upon the T-bracket 1, to which it may be secured in any desired position by a setscrew 26. Depending from the casting 241 is a lug or boss 27 provided on one face witha series of radial teeth intermeshing with similar teeth on a stub arm 28 (see 29, Fig. i). To the stub arm 28 is secured a resilient member or spring 30 in any suitable manner, a steadying arm (not shown) being connccted to the outer end of the spring in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

That I claim is o 1. The combination with an electric conductor wire and a suspension means therefor, of a steadying device separate from said suspension means and provided with a flexible portion adjacent one end, and a stationary support for said suspension means and said steadying device.

2.. The combination with an electric conductor wire and suspension means therefor, of a steadying device and a stationary bracket for the suspension means and the steadying device, the latter being separate from the suspension means and having one end provided with a flexible portion in connection with the conductor wire, the other being removably secured to the bracket.

3. The combination with a trolley wire, of a steadying device for the wire, a stationary support, and means to support the trolley wire from the stationary support, the steadying device being provided with a flexible member on one end and connected-to the wire, and having the other end secured to the stationary support, the steadying device being effective to prevent lateral displacement of the trolley wire.

4:. The combination with a stationary support and a messenger wire receiving support therefrom, of a trolley wire, means for suspending said trolley wire from said messenger wire, a steadying arm for said trolley wire supported at one end by said stationary support, means for connecting the other end of said arm to said messenger wire, and means for resiliently connecting the trolley wire to said steadying arm.

5. The combination with a stationary support and a messenger wire receiving support therefrom, of a trolley wire, means for suspending said trolley wire from said messenger wire, a steadying arm for said trolley wire supported at one end by said stationary support, means for connecting the other end of said arm to said messenger wire, means for resiliently connecting the trolley wire to said steadying arm, said means for steadying and for supporting the trolley wire from the messenger wire being adapted to prevent permanent lateral displacement of said wire while it rises and falls.

6. The combination with a stationary support and a messenger wire receiving support therefrom, of a trolley wire, a steadying arm for said trolley wire, said arm being provided with a resilient portion for permitting the rise and fall of the wire, a rigid support projecting upwardly from said steadying arm and having its upper end over the trolley wire, a bar connected below to the trolley wire and slidably engaging the upper end of said support projecting from the steadying arm, and means for connecting the last said support to said messenger wire.

7. The combination with an electric conductor wire and means for suspending the same, of a steadying device connected to said wire, provided with a flexible portion, a support, and means for pivotally adjusting and supporting said steadying device from said support.

8. The combination with a rigid support, of a conductor wire supported thereby, a rigid arm connected at one end to said support and at the otherto the wire, one of said connections being resilient to permit atemporary limited movement in any direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. MEAD; WILLARD H. KEMPTON.

Witnesses:

J. C. PAINTER, G. V. MARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

